Thursday, June 19:
Our court case against Herr Haase, the director in Leipzig, has been won, and this gives us the prospect of some thousand thalers, very necessary for the house.
The weather is close. R. works, I write some letters, and remain with the children. In the afternoon we are in our garden, which is already giving us much joy; R. is sitting for Herr Kietz, but I fear the bust will not be good.
At supper we return to the great discussion on art in Ardinghello and decide that it smacks of the highest genius; the idea that even Raphael would have thrown away his brushes and pencils shows to what extent Heinse has felt that music alone has the ability to grasp the soul of things and reproduce them.
In the evening Prof. Nohl comes. We come to the subject of Bismarck and his present quarrel with the Reichstag and are very indignant about the position into which he has been brought; none of his achievements is of any help to the great man. The Jew Lasker is put up against him. Terrible how the pretense of seeming to take a despised institution seriously, for before Bismarck the Chamber was always despised, while occasionally mocking it, has exacted its revenge. I hope to God that an end will soon be put to this stupid parliamentarianism.
When the worthy people are gone, Nohl, Kietz, who are finally joined by Feustel too, we admit to ourselves that contact with other people is a sacrifice, and that we are happy only when we are alone.